Chapter Two: Fudge's Folly

'Mankind is naturally divided into three sorts; one-third of them are animated at the first appearance of danger, and will press forward to meet and examine it; another third are alarmed by it, but will neither advance nor retreat, till they know the nature of it, but stand to meet it. The remaining third will run or fly upon the first thought of it.' -John Adams

'Hold the lift, please!' Hailey Ahlgrim called, rushing to the rapidly closing doors.

An arm wedged itself in the crevice between the doors and they sprung back, allowing her entrance to the lift.

Looking up to the owner of the arm, Hailey smiled. 'Thank you, Arnold.'

The Obliviator nodded. 'Which floor?'

'Five.' She braced her knee against the wall of the lift and placed her briefcase on it. Opening the briefcase she began to rummage through it.

'Running late are you?' Arnold asked, eyeing her harried state sympathetically.

She glanced at her watch. 'Nearly. I was on the Floo with France's Mugwump. He won't be able to make it to the session. His wife is ill.'

'Is it serious?'

Hailey laughed, snapping her briefcase shut. 'She is a hypochondriac of the first order, so yes, I'm sure it's quite lethal.'

The lift ground to a halt. 'Level five, Department of International Magical Cooperation, Incorporating the International Magical Trading Standards Body, the International Magical Office of Law, and the International Confederation of Wizards, British Seats,' the recording intoned.

The doors opened and two memos zipped in as Hailey stepped out, bidding Arnold a good day.

It was exceedingly rare for an emergency session to be called, and Hailey was quite concerned, though when she opened the double doors to the General Assembly she made certain her expression was composed.

The General Assembly was a large ellipsoidal chamber with seven tiers on one side, each housing eleven members of the Confederation, and a large lectern on the other. Behind the podium was a marble sculpture of a witch with flowing robes. In her raised right hand she held a scroll, in her left hand, which rested at her side, she held her wand.

As always, Hailey was struck by the significance of Signora Diplomazia. She had always believed words and compassion were the better way, even though they worked slower than a wand. She wasn't naïve enough to think diplomacy would always work, but she thought it should be attempted whenever possible.

Hailey climbed to the second tier where her seat was denoted by a name plaque and a small flag of her country. She was almost the last to arrive. Moments after she had taken her seat, Greece's Mugwump entered the chamber, brushed some crumbs off his fustanella, and sat heavily in his seat.

Albus Dumbledore was already at the lectern and, everyone was seated, began to speak. 'I would like to thank you all for coming on such short notice. I have always believed in the aims of this Confederation: to solve disputes peacefully, keep our world secreted from Muggle eyes, and to further peace and justice. Diplomacy, while admirable, is not always the answer for it requires both parties to adhere to reason and honesty. There have been times in Britain's history, in the history of all the countries assembled here, where diplomacy is not a choice, and those who are able must take up arms to protect all that is cherished and held dear… such a time is upon us now.'

An outbreak of whispers and murmurs followed this pronouncement. Hailey, her throat constricting, said nothing.

'A student of our school, Cedric Diggory, was murdered in the course of the final task of the Triwizard Tournament. The night of the event, Cornelius Fudge was summoned, though he did not believe my account of the events. I consider the truth to be generally preferable to lies, even if the truth is something frightening and terrible.

'A week ago, Voldemort regained His body and called His Death Eaters back into service. It was one of them who murdered Cedric Diggory.'

Gasps and cries of dismay resounded around the room and Hailey's hands flew to her mouth.

Wu Zhou leaned forward. 'You have evidence of this, Albus?'

The wizard nodded, and Hailey was struck with how old he suddenly appeared. 'Yes, we have an eyewitness account as well as the testimony of Bartemius Crouch, one of His servants.'

Denmark's representative, Ulrik Borgerlig, spoke. 'What are we going to do?' he asked.

Lino Guerro of Ecuador lifted his chin. 'We fight, we go after the bastard!'

'You are welcome to, Guerro. I, however, will not,' Hajar Bashir said slowly, his thick eyebrows furrowed.

Jacobus Arendock shook his head. 'You are being foolish, Mr Bashir. You think He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named will limit Himself to Britain?'

'I know He will not," Bashir said, "but He will not be concerned with Sudan.'

Jacobus Arendock frowned. '"Strength Through Unity" is my country's motto and I wholeheartedly believe it. Britain is in peril, I remember the days of You-Know-Who's first reign. Are we just going to leave her to her fate?'

Ingrid Bergfalk stood. 'Your phrasing is both exaggerated and melodramatic, Arendock,' she said, her voice cool, with a hint of a German accent. 'You speak as if not assisting Britain would be akin to murder. You forget that you need to be concerned with the affairs of your own country; Britain survived perfectly intact after the last…unpleasantness with the Dark Lord, I see no reason why that would change now, especially with such a powerful wizard as Albus Dumbledore involved.' The last words were accompanied by a slight nod and twist of the lips.

'The Order of the Phoenix,' Hailey asked, 'what of them? Have they reorganised as well?' While the Order of the Phoenix was indeed a "secret" society, that is, that no one knew who the actual members were, it was widely known that Albus was its leader.

'Yes, the Order of the Phoenix has been resurrected and is-'

The door burst open then and Cornelius Fudge hurried inside, a wizard with red hair and horned-rimmed spectacles on his heels.

Fudge's eyes took in the sight of Albus at the lectern and the shocked and concerned members of the Confederation and put the two together.

Swelling like a blowfish, the Minister advanced, pointing his pudgy finger at Albus. 'No, Dumbledore! I told you- I won't have you spreading those- those lies and unfounded speculation!'

'Doesn't sound unfounded to me,' Lino Guerro snapped.

'Why didn't you say anything?'

'How could you keep this a secret?'

'Er du vansinnig? Eller bara en idioten?'

Fudge stared at the rising tide of protesters with wide eyes. It occurred to Hailey then that Fudge did not realize how unpopular he was with the Confederation. Though the general populace liked Fudge, those who worked with him, or indeed knew anyone who did, most emphatically did not.

'Now, now see here, Dumbledore,' Fudge had taken off his hat and was twisting it nervously in his hands, 'I've always stood by you, even though many of your decisions have been…' He was unable to pinpoint the correct word and pressed on. 'But no more!' he cried, brandishing his hat. 'You broke the oath you took when you became a Mugwump of this Confederation and that is to tell the truth! In breach of that oath, you are hereby sacked from the International Confederation of Wizards! You-'

Hailey was not the only one to leap to her feet at Fudge's declaration. Emiliano Adessi muttered a few Italian epithets under his breath before switching to English, 'Of all the-!' and an outraged Minister Oblansk cried, 'Vhat? You think vhat is the answer?'

'Minister Fudge,' Hailey tried her utmost to sound calm, 'if you wish to remove Albus for perjury there must first be an inquiry, you cannot-'

'Do not tell me what I can or cannot do, Ahlgrim!' He turned to the aide at his side and hissed a few words in his ear. The young man nodded and left the room.

She had never seen Fudge act in this manner before, and for a moment was quite at a loss as to what to say. Lifting her chin, she quietly replied, 'I am merely reminding you of what the law says.'

Her answer only served to catapult his rage to new heights. 'Say another word, Ahlgrim, and I'll have you thrown off the Confederation as well!'

'On what grounds?' she demanded.

Fudge flustered for a minute, before stammering, 'I-I am sure I would be able to find something!'

Lawrence Ware rose to his feet, his burned hands gripping his cane tightly. 'Listen to yourself, Minister, you are speaking madness!'

'Silence! Ahlgrim, I order you to stand down!'

Hailey crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the Minister in response.

'Stand down, Ahlgrim, unless you wish to be sacked from this Confederation!'

She gritted her teeth but stood her ground. She had spent more than ten years in the Ministry… never had she imagined her political career would end in such a manner, but it would be unconscionable for her to stand aside.

Then she saw Professor Dumbledore shake his head. It was barely perceptible; Hailey was most likely the only one who spotted it. The Headmaster shook his head again, telling her to sit down.

Hailey took her seat and Fudge positively glowed with satisfaction. Not wanting to look as if Fudge had scored any sort of victory over her she said, 'As you wish… Professor Dumbledore.'

Fudge's eyes flashed and he whirled on Albus, who held up his hands in a placating manner. 'She is only following your directive, Cornelius.'

The double doors swung open and the young man reentered along with two Aurors, both of whom looked grave.

Fudge motioned them over. 'Williamson, Dawlish, escort Dumbledore off of the Ministry premises.'

Both of them looked at Fudge in shock, but after a moment of hesitation seized Dumbledore by the arms and took him out of the room.

'And furthermore,' Fudge continued, his voice rising with every word, 'any Ministry of Magic employee discovered spreading lies about the so-called rebirth of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named or Dumbledore's band of vigilantes will be sacked!'

Eelis Laukkanen jumped to his feet, hands clenched. 'And what of us? You forget, Minister, we are not under your country's jurisdiction!'

'If any of you so much as breathe a word about this, Britain will no longer welcome you as a member of this Confederation and we will embargo all of your country's exports- you do not want to make me your enemy, Laukkanen!'

And with that parting threat, the Minister for Magic left the Grand Assembly Room.

Lino Guerro drew his wand and made to head after Fudge but was halted by Mr Torres who grabbed his arm and began speaking to him rapidly in Spanish.

All around her, the debate flew fast and furious, but Hailey was unable to pay it much heed. She raised a trembling hand up to her face and pushed a lock of hair out of her eyes.

'You did the right thing, Hailey,' Lawrence said, laying a gnarled hand on her shoulder.

She shook her head. 'No,' she said, her voice hollow, 'no I did the cowardly thing.'

'I was watching Dumbledore, he wanted you to sit down.' He squeezed her shoulder. 'I am truly sorry.'

For a moment, she tried to work out what he meant, for it could mean so many things, then it hit her. Voldemort.

'I-I have to go,' she said shakily, gathering her things and climbing to her feet.

'I know,' he said simply; there was such understanding and compassion in his eyes that it pained her to look at them. She embraced him, and then made her way to the door and slipped out. Once in the corridor, her steps quickened until she broke out into a run. She bypassed the lifts and yanked open the door leading to the stairs, descending them two at a time till she reached the eighth floor.

She stepped into the Atrium, her eyes scanning for Dumbledore. Finally, she spotted his silver hair near the Visitor's Entrance and dashed over. 'Dawlish, Williamson, stop!' she commanded, trying to sound authoritative, which was difficult as she was attempting to catch her breath at the same time.

The two Aurors halted and turned, though they still kept a hold on Albus.

'Please, I need to speak to Professor Dumbledore for a minute.'

'Now, listen here,' Dawlish said gruffly, 'we've got orders- straight from the Minister himself- to escort-'

'Come on, John,' the other Auror said, 'she needs just a moment-'

Seeing that the grey-haired wizard appeared unconvinced, Hailey reached into her pocket and pulled out a silver W, her badge denoting her as a member of the Wizengamot.

'Very well,' Dawlish muttered, releasing Albus and stepping a few meters away; Williamson followed suit.

'Did you lose your post?' Albus asked.

'No… Albus, what were you thinking?' she cried, throwing her hands up in the air. 'The Confederation needed to be informed, I am not disputing that, but to do it in such a brazen manner! Why didn't you simply send us all owls? Now Fudge is threatening to sack anyone who mentions… Him or the Order of the Phoenix-'

'Is that so?' Albus interrupted, looking quite pleased.

'Yes, why are you-' She stopped as she realised what he was playing at. If there was any way to guarantee the "rumours" of Voldemort's rebirth would continue to spread it was by outlawing them to be spoken. 'You sly codger! That was brilliant- but I was almost sacked, I should have been sacked! Why did you tell me to stand down?' she demanded.

'Hailey, I know you are a strong witch, no one who knows you would accuse you of not sticking to your principles, but I could not allow you to throw your career away in such a manner. Now, more than ever, we need to ensure that people such as you, who know the truth of Voldemort's return, are in the Ministry.'

Hailey could see the sense in such a statement. With Albus no longer in the Ministry it was more important than ever for those who weren't in Fudge's pocket to stay in the Ministry, but… 'You made me take the coward's way out!' she accused.

'No, I prevented you from taking the easy way out.'

She blinked. 'The easy way out?' she repeated incredulously. 'It would have cost me my career!'

Albus surveyed her solemnly over his half-moon spectacles. 'At times it takes more strength, more courage to withstand injustice, to quietly strive against such forces than to sacrifice oneself in a grand, dramatic display of martyrdom.'

She considered his words for a moment and inclined her head. 'I suppose. You are correct, as always.' Hailey crossed her arms as if in defence of a sudden chill and turned her head away. 'I should tell my father about You-Know- about what happened. It would be best if he heard it from me.' She quickly embraced the Headmaster, stepped away and Disapparated.

Her father would take the news of Voldemort's recrudescence especially hard.

The beginning of Voldemort's first uprising was marked by deaths and disappearances, and, as a result, many suspected all Voldemort was capable of was breaking in and murdering the poor residents like a common burglar. Terrible yes, but far from the catastrophe Albus and others were prophesying was imminent. The Ministry assured the uneasy public the number of Death Eaters was greatly exaggerated and Voldemort would soon be apprehended by Aurors.

Then, on the bright wintry morning of December 23rd 1970, everything changed.

Children were disembarking the Hogwarts Express at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters and were being reunited with their families when Death Eaters struck. Hailey lost her mother and brother in what became known as the King's Cross Massacre, a terrible blow from which her father never truly recovered.

She worried her lip, forcibly dragging her mind to the present. She stood in front of the door leading to her father's study but was greatly reluctant to enter. Sighing softly, Hailey opened the door.

Radulph Ahlgrim's study was in its usual state of disarray. Open tomes and parchments were scattered across the desk as well the odd gadget and gizmo. Her father was standing before a long chalkboard full of Arithmatic equations.

'…five, five… the number of action and restlessness… no matter what variables I change the answer remains the same…' he muttered, 'but what does she have to do with it all?'

Hailey delicately cleared her throat to announce her presence.

Her father turned around, his frown of consternation relaxing into a smile. He took his pipe out of his mouth. 'Hailey,' he said warmly, striding forward to embrace her.

She dropped her briefcase and threw her arms around him, holding him tightly, wishing she was once again a little girl and her father held the power to fix all that was wrong in her world. But that was years ago. Pulling away, Hailey deftly wiped her eyes.

Radulph's smile faded and his eyes grew solemn. 'What's wrong?'

Hailey swallowed and looked away, her eyes tracing the patterns on the intricate rug.

'What is wrong?' he repeated, grabbing her hands and holding them tightly. 'Hailey?'

'It's He-' Hailey could not bring herself to finish the thought. Once she spoke the words aloud they would become real on a level she could not bear.

Her father took a shaky breath and Hailey dove on.

'I know you've been hearing the rumours- about trouble brewing throughout all of Britain. With the Dark Mark appearing at the World Cup-'

He looked at her sharply, dread pooling in his eyes. 'No…'

'-the disappearance of Bertha and Mr Crouch-'

'Oh, Merlin…'

Hailey threw her arms around his neck and held him as tightly as she could. 'Oh, Father, I'm so sorry, it happened-it happened,' her lips trembled and her rapid delivery failed, 'He's back.'

The tears came for both of them as he wrapped his arms around her.

They stood that way for quite some time, simply letting each other grieve. Voldemort had taken so much from them; her father had lost his son and his other half, while she lost her mother, brother and innocence. She was seven when her mother and brother were killed, her recollections of them were vague at best; though she remembered the afternoon of their deaths with horrifying clarity. Since then, her father had lived in the same fear that possessed all of Britain: the fear that someone else they loved was next. When she had turned eleven, her father sent her to Beauxbatons in France, and he was not the only one.

He pulled away and collapsed into his favourite armchair. He carded his fingers through his dark grey hair before putting his face in his hands. 'Start from the beginning.'

Hailey did so, telling him of Dumbledore's emergency meeting, his announcement, Fudge's rage, Albus losing his position, the Confederation's panic and the Minister's ultimatum. '…and then, I came here.'

Her father said nothing; rather he remained still, his eyes staring unblinkingly at the carpet. Suddenly, he stood and moved to the fireplace, bracing himself against the mantle with the hand not holding his pipe. 'You should go back to the Ministry; I expect you will be quite busy, especially now Albus is no longer part of the Confederation,' he said evenly.

Hailey hesitated, uncertain whether or not to leave her father alone.

'Go, Hailey.'

She went over to him, kissed him on the cheek and stepped out of the study. When she looked back, his gaze was fixed on the family portrait hanging above the mantle.

Stepping back into the Ministry, Hailey found it to be exactly as she had left it. She knew she was being ridiculous, but so much had changed in the course of the morning it was hard to believe that anything could remain as it was before. Yet the same witches and wizards milled about the Atrium, the brightly coloured memos flew overhead and the symbols on the bewitched ceiling moved in their usual rhythm. She turned in a slow circle, taking in all the mundane sights that were so dear to her, realising that in the great scheme of things, in the face of the great conflict they would soon face, it all meant very little.

Hailey made her way to the queue in front of the lift, lost in her ruminations which carried her all the way to her office on the second floor. She opened the door to her office and was immediately set upon by her assistant, Clark Brown.

'Miss Ahlgrim! Have you heard? It's- It's-' Words failed him and he threw his hands up into the air. 'I never imagined this would happen!'

She dropped her briefcase onto her desk and turned to face Clark. As she held the role of both an Elder on the Wizengamot and a Mugwump on the International Confederation of Wizards she was given an aide, Clark Brown, a stout balding wizard with brown hair and a knack for remembering the most inconsequential details. Though "aide" was a term she used reluctantly as he was much more than that: Clark was her sounding board, her advisor, her confidante.

She sighed heavily. 'I know. I heard about it this morning. I could scarcely believe it either.'

'It's brilliant! I never thought we'd be so fortunate!'

Her face must be white as a sheet, she was certain of that. 'I-I'm sorry, Clark,' she stammered, 'my mind was elsewhere. What is brilliant?'

He took a deep breath. 'You remember what Orrell Taggart said a fortnight ago, at Wimple's retirement party?'

Thrown by the non-sequitor it took a moment for her to respond. 'Vaguely. He said he could not recall hearing of one of the organisations receiving funding from the Ministry, correct?'

Clark nodded. 'The Society for Education and Enlightenment Regarding the Sight, or S.E.E.R.S., except that it doesn't exist.'

Her forehead scrunched together in confusion. 'Pardon?'

'The organisation doesn't exist,' Clark repeated slowly, a smile spreading across his face. 'Orrell got in touch with an investigator, and she was able to find three other such vapourous organisations created by Minister Fudge that still manage, by some clerical error I'm sure, to receive funds from the Ministry.'

'And Fudge managed to orchestrate this? I would never imagine he had the guile to do such a thing!'

'Oh, he had help, of that I don't doubt, Miss Ahlgrim. But he nevertheless committed the crime and…'

Hailey knew her lips were twisted into a rather vindictive smile, but she could not keep her pleasure from being visible. 'And according to the Magus Carta, Fudge will no longer be the Minister for Magic.'

'A just cause for celebration, I think.' Clark pulled out a bottle of champagne from his desk and tapped it with his wand. 'Frigidiero.' He popped off the cork of the now chilled bottle, conjured and filled two glasses, and handed one to her. 'Will you say a toast, Miss Ahlgrim?'

The fleeting sense of happiness she felt at the news of Fudge's imminent departure evaporated, leaving a painful hollowness in its wake. Tears prickled at the corner of her eyes and she bowed her head, her brown hair falling forward. Never had the future appeared so uncertain, or so greatly resembled a boggart lurking in a dark cupboard, waiting to take shape.